


These Little Moments

by Redgrave



Series: Devils Never Love [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: DMC5 who? sorry i don't know her, Established Relationship, M/M, Post DMC4, reader beware: dangerous doses of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 04:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20252374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redgrave/pseuds/Redgrave
Summary: Somehow between dealing with calls to Devil May Cry, saving humanity once in a while and confronting disoriented demons seeking revenge against Sparda, Dante and Nero became an item.





	These Little Moments

**Author's Note:**

> First of all… pls PLS pLs I’m desperately looking for help ;_; I really need a beta since there’s only so much google translate and I can do; that being said I tried my best. I wrote this some years ago but seeing the status of the canon right now, I think I’ll stick with my own “canon”, tyvm.

In the experience gained over the years -that wasn’t small- Dante had enough knowledge to call himself a wise man, even if his behavior said the opposite. He was certain of countless things, some more bizarre than others.

And within those countless certainties, Dante was sure that for the first time in his chaotic life, he was in love. Even if it seemed unbelievable, it was still the truth. Or at least, that was what Sparda's son claimed it was the “illness" that had been afflicting him in recent times.

Throughout his life he had lots of affairs, so many he didn't remember more than a half of them and frankly, the rest weren’t important either. He didn’t deny that the idea of having a serious relationship crossed his mind more than once, but still didn’t happen because he knew that he could never be the type to have a normal relationship without the risk of having the person involved with him being taken from his side. In addition was the fact that he hadn’t met anyone to awake in him that ridiculous emotion that people used to call _love_, at least not in the romantic sense.

He wasn’t a heartless bastard either, even if for years he didn’t felt those emotions that for a long time were reserved solely for his mother and brother. It was true that he loved Lady and that he deeply cared for Trish. He loved Lady with her quirks and manipulative personality, because she had been with him in the most difficult period of his life and for a long time, she was the only one whom he could count no matter how difficult the situation was; Trish, on her part, gained his affection despite the _little_ rough beginning they had and after everything they lived together, he trusted her fully... and he had to admit he enjoyed seeing her because sometimes when she smiled, for a brief instant, it was like seeing his mother again, alive and happy.

Naturally, he never told Trish nor Lady any of these thoughts, but he was sure that both were aware that he cared for them and that in some strange and twisted way, the three of them were a family.

And then Nero arrived at Devil May Cry looking for a job offer since things in Fortuna improved to the point where the reorganized Order of the Sword was able to take care of the occasional demons that appeared in the city which still happened from time to time; that was how Nero found himself without a purpose, because he knew that the Order had nothing more to offer him, in the same way that they didn’t need him to defend the city. So he left and ended up working with Dante. However, from time to time Nero traveled back to Fortuna to visit Kyrie, with whom he continued their sibling-like relationship after both realized they misunderstood their feelings for the other.

The _how_, _when_ and _why_ Dante and Nero started something like a... "loving relationship" was another story.

The oldest never expected that the two of them would end up like that considering he never thought it would be possible that the day would come when he could have a genuine sentimental relationship, something that would involve much more than the time shared in bed. But somehow between having to deal with calls to Devil May Cry, saving humanity once in a while and confronting some disoriented demons seeking revenge against Sparda, Dante and Nero had been able to maintain their relationship with such an amazing normality that Lady and Trish still gave them skeptical glances from time to time. Obviously Dante couldn't blame them, because sometimes he felt incredulous.

One way or another, with all the good, the bad and the surreal, Dante couldn’t deny he was in fact, foolishly in love. And that was the simplest explanation of why he had been doing nothing but staring at Nero for about fifteen minutes now.

Today was one of those rare quiet days in Devil May Cry, just waiting for a call to come, not that they were complaining after the jobs they had for the last few days; a little cool down time wasn’t bad at all. As expected, Dante was sitting behind his desk, with his feet crossed over it while holding a magazine in his hands to which he had stopped paying attention for a while; Nero on his part was on the long sofa that matched the other two that were placed on the sides and completed the set with the coffee table that was in the center; unlike the other, Nero was focused on his current activity which consisted in his weekly maintenance of Red Queen and Blue Rose, to keeping them in optimal conditions. As the youngest had all his attention on his weapons, he hadn’t realized that he was under Dante’s persistent scrutiny, who could only observe him, with an unconscious smile on his lips, listening to Nero muttering to himself, which wasn’t so strange because the boy had the habit of singing quietly sometimes just like he was doing at the moment.

"_We shall never surrender... we shall never surrender_."

The smile on the elder's lips accentuated a little more when he recognized the end of the song, because it wasn’t the first time he heard it, although he only knew it because of the tone and those last four words.

"Hey, kid" he called jovially.

Nero turned his head instantly looking at the other hunter with an arched eyebrow.

"What?" he questioned unceremoniously.

"What are you singing?"

The way Dante had so nonchalantly asked made it seem that his question came from boredom. In the past Nero would have taken that as a mockery and so he would’ve responded sharply... however they were no longer in the past and so many things -like his tendency to always think the worst of Dante- were gone.

"It's a song from the Order" he answered fixing his gaze on Red Queen and resuming his previous activity "Kyrie found it in an old book and for some reason she liked it. She wanted to sing it once in public but the Order didn’t let her" he frowned slightly “They said it had an aggressive message or some bullshit like that.”

Dante gave a short laugh because despite everything he had already heard from the famous Order of the Sword, every time he heard something new he couldn't help thinking that people in Fortuna definitely had a serious, serious problem. It was intriguing that Nero developed the personality -and way of thinking- that he had despite being raised with the same norms and customs as everyone in Fortuna; perhaps it was because of the demonic blood that ran through his veins and made Nero by nature opposed to being subjugated.

“Obviously you liked it” he said almost casually.

“Kyrie asked me for help to practice it. Is nothing special that I didn’t forget.”

“Oh, you hurt me” in an acting manner he put a hand on his chest, right over his heart “I thought we had something special but you haven't forgot about her.”

Nero looked at him with some surprise, remaining motionless for a few seconds before frowning and clicking his tongue.

“Don't be stupid” he said annoyed “I'm talking about the song, not Kyrie” he looked away “Also I’m not going to forget Kyrie, she's my family.”

“But what about me? Am I nothing to you?” and the exaggeratedly hurt tone continued in his voice.

The former knight narrowed his eyes without taking them off Dante, then extending his left arm and took Blue Rose, proceeding to point it at the other without hesitation.

“Okay, okay” said Dante, raising both hands in surrender “You don't need to go all Lady on me.”

Nero couldn’t avoid the amused smile that formed on his lips, turning his head to the opposite side of the other, trying to hide how funny found it all.

“Seeing what a bastard you are sometimes, shooting you needs to be an official sport. If they did tournaments, I would definitely entry.”

“I’m so lucky” he said with notorious sarcasm “Because with comments like those I can see how much you love me. What more can I ask for?”

“An unlimited pizza supply with twenty-four hours’ service” Nero replied, without even thinking too much.

The oldest barely smiled, not for the obvious comment but for the certainty with the other said it.

“Kid, what color I dislike?”

Obviously the owner of Red Queen didn’t expect that question, so he raised an eyebrow, giving the man a strange look, but still he answered.

“Purple” he said simply.

“And how do you know?”

Feeling more and more confused, this time Nero openly frowned.

“For that stupid undercover mission that Lady made us take. From all of the clothes she brought for us, you throw everything that was purple at the side” he shrugged as if the answer had been evident from the beginning.

Dante simply closed his eyes, leaning even more against his chair, as if he was planning to get comfortable enough to take a nap.

It was true that purple was a color that he personally hated. Not that Nero knew the reasons... because there was no way in which the boy knew that Sparda had decided to use that same color under the guise of a human appearance. Nor was it possible that Nero knew that just as Dante had always sought to incorporate the color red into his clothes, Vergil had done the same with the blue... and when red and blue mixed, purple was there.

But for some strange reason, the simple and ridiculous fact that Nero knew that Dante disliked that color, even if he didn't know why, was something absurdly comforting.

“Nero” he called, not bothering to open his eyes or change his position “Did I tell you today that I love you?”

Nero remained immobile staring at the older man with some stupefaction, his mouth ajar, for what he intended to say simply didn’t left his lips. Dante then opened his left eye, smiling playfully.

“What do you say? Sing me the song from a moment ago?”

The youngest looked at him for a few more seconds, before leaving Red Queen against the table to stand up.

“Okay, you know what? Now I’m worried, I'm going to call Trish... I'm not going through the same crap as always if this is another of your weird demon things.”

Dante laughed, watching this time with both eyes open as Nero moved through the room, until he went through the door that led to the kitchen, obviously looking for the phone that was there, although it was clear he didn't realize that it would’ve been easier to use the phone on the desk.

“Hey, kid!” he called loudly “You’re a demon too!”

The answer came from the kitchen in less than a second.

“No one asked you, old man!”

And Dante laughed again, because what the hell! He hadn’t been as genuinely happy as he had been feeling for the last months.

He could definitely get used to that “living while being in love thing”, even if it was for the rest of his life. That take didn't sound bad at all.

* * *

The clock that was at the highest point in the small park, said it was now seven in the morning. The atmosphere was a little cold but pleasant, matching the tranquility of the empty streets, making it feel like a good start for the day, although technically he started the day two hours ago.

It was also practically impossible not to be in a good mood when his blue eyes fixed on the main part of the town’s park, since sitting on one of the wooden benches was Nero, comfortably leaning against the backrest, with his right leg crossed over the other, while in his right hand he held a cup of steaming coffee, lightly grabbing with the opposite hand the handle of Reed Queen, that was laying against the bench. It was obvious he was listening to music, because in addition of the headphones he had on, his head and left foot were moving at the same pace of the music he was probably hearing. And Dante had to admit it wouldn't bother him if he had to stay a couple of hours like that, smiling like a fool, admiring his partner just because he could do it. Unfortunately, they had to keep going with today’s mission so they couldn’t afford to waste too much time.

With no other option, he headed towards the youngest who noticed his presence when he was a few steps away from him, so he removed the headphones with his left hand.

“You took your sweet time” said Nero, standing up and placing Red Queen on his back “I was already thinking about going to get you and kick your ass back.”

“Sometimes the informants don't want to talk, that's why you have to negotiate with them” he answered trying to sound formal “I thought Lady gave you a small course of 'welcome to the business'.”

“She did... and she said that if the informants don't want to cooperate, you have to start shooting at their feet” and a malicious smile formed on his lips.

“Didn't think it was possible but Lady and you understood each other a little too well.”

“What can I say? She’s like the hostile older sister I never had” there was certainly some truth in those words “And? Are we going in the right direction?”

“Yep” he exclaimed with simplicity “If we continue like this we should be arriving at noon.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

The ex-knight began to walk in the opposite direction in which Dante had come, who instantly joined him, snatching the cup still from his hand.

“Hey!” the boy protested watching the other give a sip from his coffee “That’s mine.”

“And there you are wrong” answered presumptuously “Everything yours is mine... except your weapons, keep them. No offense, kid, but mine are better.”

There was no way the youngest wouldn’t be offended, but he resisted the temptation of throwing the coffee’s cup on Dante’s face, even it seemed like an excellent option.

“Blue Rose and Red Queen are a beauty” he practically hissed in response.

And the offense was personal because Blue Rose was Nero’s creation.

“Age must be affecting you if you can't recognize two good weapons like those.”

“I didn’t say they weren’t good, it's just that mine are superior” he answered, completely smug.

Nero raised both eyebrows appreciatively, nodding slightly a few times to himself and then, with a swift movement, he caught Rebellion with the extension of his devil bringer, detaching it from his solemn place in Dante’s back and proceeding to throw it strongly with a turn of his body.

“What the hell?” cried the older man in astonishment.

The sword ended up embedded in one of the distant trees of the small square they were barely leaving. Dante stopped completely, watching Rebellion, raising his hands with his palms up, turning to where the other white-haired was, ready to argue with him only to find that for some reason, Nero begun run away from him.

“What’s your problem?!” he didn’t resist shouting.

Nero then turned his face, showing a great smile of satisfaction mixed with superiority that matched the challenging look that the man knew well.

“Hope your weapons and your old bones let you keep up!”

With that, the former knight speeded the pace even further with a brief impulse of his feet.

Dante couldn’t help but let out a snort, smiling at the unexpected challenge of the youngest.

“What a brat” but his tone was playful “Oh, well... I guess there’s always time to remind the kids they should respect their elders.”

And without any hurry he began to walk towards where his sword was.

* * *

Dante wasn’t ashamed to say that one of his favorite hobbies was watching Nero. Why hide it? As his lover he was in his full right to bask in Nero’s splendor as long as he wanted... that he always did when Nero didn’t realize it was something entirely different that didn’t enter into discussion.

It also wasn’t like he looked for chance of doing it, because those chances just jumped in front of him. Without going any further, it hadn’t been his fault waking up in the middle of the night, nor was it that he had forgotten his dream as soon as his eyes fell on the quiet figure that was at his side.

Nero was sound asleep with his left arm hiding under the pillow and the right bent against his bare chest. Dante was facing him with little room between them, which meant that at some point while they were sleeping, Nero must’ve moved unconsciously freeing himself from Dante's arms, giving him space enough to observe in detail Nero’s peaceful face, thanks in large measure to the uninterrupted light radiating from his devil arm.

At first when they begun to sharing bed, it had been an inconvenience the dimly blue light from Nero's arm that never went out, which Dante found somewhat annoying, astonished at the fact that Nero was able to fall asleep without problems as if he didn’t have a lamp in front of his own face.

Naturally at the beginning the owner of Rebellion had tried to cover that light with the sheets at every opportunity he had, but as time went by he got used to it to the point where he didn’t even notice the radiance coming from the devil bringer and on nights like this, when he woke up with that ethereal light welcoming him, he smiled because it was an indisputable sign that Nero was there, with him.

Gently Dante brought his hand to the boy's face, stroking his cheek with the tip of his fingers, causing Nero to gently frown and shake slightly, barely opening his eyes when he felt Dante's arm around his waist moving him closer, to which he responded by calmly closing his eyes again.

And without resisting, the oldest deposited a kiss against Nero’s soft white hair, letting out a faint sigh and finally closing his eyes too, willing to go back to sleep with a smile on his lips.

* * *

Saying he wasn't excited would be a complete lie, but he wasn't going to admit it out loud. This was the first time that Nero had the opportunity to go to the best district of Capulet City, which was radically different from the area of the city where Devil May Cry was located.

When Dante had told him he wanted his help to buy a birthday gift for Trish, the former knight thought it was a joke... but there he was, looking at shop windows and going through lots and lots of stores, and not only that, but in spite of carrying Red Queen or that his right arm was fully visible, few of the many people on the streets had barely given him more than one look.

Dante wasn’t joking around when he told him -long time ago- that Capulet’s people had seen _everything_ and were hard to impress.

“So...” he commented too casually “Any ideas?”

“That's why I brought you, kid, with all the girl’s talk you have with Trish I thought you would know what to gift her.”

In honor of the truth, it wasn’t really Trish's birthday... but rather it was the date of the day when the blonde had a change of “heart” -so to call it- and decided to join Dante’s cause, giving him her trust, company and help in that dangerous campaign that was being Sparda's son.

“Is not girl’s talk” he answered with annoyance “We talk about demons, weapons and how lazy and messy you are.”

“See? Such little ladies you both are.”

Nero simply rolled his eyes, not bothering to react to the comment and instead set his sight on a nearby shop window, not really interested in what it has on display.

“Go roll and die” he couldn't resist the comment, even though he lacked real heat.

“If you keep that up you won't get anything for your birthday… and now that I think about it” he put a hand to his chin in a thoughtful gesture “You haven't told me when it is.”

“When is yours?” he said turning around to smile mockingly “Don’t answer, I forgot calendars weren’t invented yet when you were born.”

“Take care of that tongue, kid... one day is gonna get you in big trouble” and by the tone of his voice, that seemed more like an innuendo.

“And if I were you I would take care of that back, old man... one day is gonna ask you for a cane.”

That Dante gave him a slap on the back of the head was no surprise. Nor was it that Nero simply began to laugh.

If that had happened during the first weeks the former knight was Devil May Cry, surely Nero would’ve reacted violently, instead of placidly laughing. And it was precisely for occurrences like that one that Lady and Trish couldn’t let go of their amazement, since they had been accustomed to seeing the two of them argue, fight and pester one on another, so logically the last thing to be expected was for Dante and Nero to happily end hand in hand. That and the fact that Dante was indeed taking the relationship seriously; not only he was faithful -something quite unheard of- but because both women could say that Dante was sincerely concerned for Nero’s wellbeing.

In any case at least it was comforting to see them happy.

* * *

The tranquility surrounding the room was total, while the only thing that prevented the silence from reigning were the peaceful breathing that came from the occupants of the bed who remained blissfully asleep. However, all that picture full of serenity was broken when a knock -which sounded distant, but loud enough- followed by a thunderous screaming voice, got Nero to sit up on the bed while his eyes automatically focused on the closed door of the room; a slight squeeze of the arm around his waist caught his attention, making him turn to the opposite side and meeting a pair of sleepy blue eyes.

“It's Lady.”

“I know it's her” Nero answered “I'm sure she's coming for her money, we have to get up before she gets up here.”

As if he wanted to support the last sentence, another impatient scream was heard from the first floor.

“It's too early” he complained “You go, kid.”

Nero narrowed his eyes without much sympathy, staring at his _beloved_. Dante felt too comfortable and not even the venomous look Nero gave him was enough to making him leave the bed, so he slipped his arm around Nero's waist, intentionally brushing the exposed skin with the tips of his fingers and released him, turning his back on him, showing clearly that he wasn’t getting up.

“I know you can handle things by yourself” he said, closing his eyes “And if she asks for me, you can tell her you behaved so well last night that today I’m completely dead.”

Instantly the ex-knight's eyes narrowed as he clicked his tongue and Nero then rested his right thumb on his middle finger, tensing it before releasing it on the man’s head, giving him a strong but simple blow, knowing that although it wouldn’t make any harm, the littlest annoyance that could cause Dante it would count as a win for him.

Resignedly but in a hurry, Nero stood up looking for his pajamas that were scattered on the floor, dressing as fast as he could and running his hands over his head in an attempt to fix his hair before opening the door and leaving.

When Dante heard the door was closed again, he couldn't help smiling, not because he was still comfortably in bed or that he wasn't going to deal with a cranky Lady so early in the day, but because as disgustingly cheesy as it sounded, he loved that Nero was the first thing he saw in the mornings and in the same way, it was also the last thing he contemplated in the nights.

* * *

Trish watched as after a brief exchange of words, Dante hung up the phone without further ado. The blonde had just arrived just a few minutes ago from a couple of weeks of absence, carrying out a fairly well paid job.

“He didn't have the password” it was what he said without paying too much attention “What do you say if we order a pizza to celebrate your return?”

“I think you would’ve ordered it anyway, no matter if I was here or not.”

“Come on, babe, you offend me. I'm really glad you came back, the parties are not the same without you.”

“Hmn” she smiled with coquetry “Frankly I didn't think you would miss me... I know you’re enjoying your married life.”

Dante smiled slyly, shrugging.

“What can I say? I have a very accommodating wife.”

The blonde shook her head gently but smiled gracefully.

“If Nero listens to you call him that, he'll be very upset.”

“And why do you think I say these things when he isn't here?” he asked boldl.

“Did he go on a mission?”

“No, he went to visit that girl, Kyra.”

“Kyrie” she corrected.

“Kyra, Kyrie, Karye, whatever, it's the same.”

Trish knew that Dante always pronounced Kyrie’s name wrong on purpose, perhaps because although Sparda's son didn’t admit it -not even to himself- the truth was that he had a little animosity towards the girl. But the blonde knew it was just the possessive nature of demons talking.

“I’m in a very good mood” she commented, casually observing the nails of her right hand as if they were something interesting “So this time I will pay for the pizza, feel free to order whatever you want... but don’t overdo it or you’ll have to pay it yourself.”

“Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about!”

The blonde rolled her eyes, still bearing the smile that refused to leave her lips. Dante was strangely endearing when pretending he wasn’t moping.

* * *

“Oh, come on, relax. I already told you it wasn't my fault.”

“And hell, Dante! Do you have any idea how much will cost to pay for the repair?”

“I'm sorry, baby, I promise that the next time a demon tries to decapitate me, I'm going to lovingly grab it, put it in a safe zone and try to talk to it, you know, find its problems and maybe I can convince it that killing people is something very, very bad.”

The sound of a shot flooded the room over the rest of the noises that were already there.

Nero frowned, not taking his eyes off the portable gaming system he had in hands which he had recently bought. Video games were something really interesting, not that in Fortuna were a lot, but the former knight become fascinated with them after Dante introduced him to that world.

“Tch, one day you're going to take off a tooth and isn’t going to be sexy at all.”

“You better start taking this seriously or I'll stop being nice.”

“You were being nice? Sorry, the bullet in my forehead must’ve confused me a little.”

“Do you want me to put a bullet much lower?”

The fact that Lady and Dante "fought" -if it could be called a fight to the fact that they always argued for nonsense- was quite common. That’s why it was almost never a good idea to mix the jobs she got with the jobs that came from Devil May Cry, because inevitably something always tended to go wrong.

“Hey, Lady” Nero interrupted, his voice loud and clear “Can you do me a favor?”

The brunette, who was right in front of the desk behind which Dante was sitting, turned in the direction of the other white-haired, who was not really looking at her, but still playing with his eyes fixed on the screen in his hands.

“Yes?” she said, raising an eyebrow and using the little patience she had left.

“Can you please not shoot Dante when I'm present?” said, like who talks about the weather “It bothers me.”

Both Lady and Dante showed stunned expressions.

“If you have a problem with the money, I can pay you.”

And the perplexity grew more and more.

“Just a little tip, you need to start making written contracts with your clients and clarify we aren’t responsible for anything of theirs that get destroyed when we’re trying to get the job done.”

Lady opened her mouth but said nothing and soon closed it again, unable to take her eyes off the Nero whose attention never left his portable console. Dante reacted first, beginning to laugh frantically while Nero for his part contained a smile, because finally after years of having to endure the Order’s paperwork, he found a perfect situation to make use of it.

And even if one part of Lady was greatly aggravated, the other was glad that Dante found someone brave enough to defend him, even if it was from Lady herself.

* * *

When Lucia met Dante, she was completely impressed with him. He inspired her with his words and made her admire his sense of sacrifice, equal to the stories told of the great Dark Knight, Sparda. And after seeing him to venture in hell, she waited patiently for his return.

However, when Lucia saw Dante after the last time, she realized that the man changed completely and he wasn’t as she remembered. The Dante of his memories was reserved, quiet and with an air of mystery completely enveloping him. The Dante she saw a few days ago was someone totally different; smiling, upbeat and even arrogant.

And he didn’t come alone, since at his side was another young demon. Both of them stayed in Dumary for a couple of days, leaving an impression in Lucia she would never forget. Not only because she learned that the boy was Dante's partner, but also because the redhead was sure that the so-called Nero must had something to do with the fact that Dante looked... well, so happy. It could be that Lucia was imagining it -although Matier said she was good at reading other people's emotions- but the redhead was sure that Dante's voice’s tone changed a little when he spoke to Nero, just like the way he looked at him, with more... warm, as if it were something _exclusive_ for Nero.

Oh, Lucia had so much she wanted to ask, because she had been listening about Sparda for years and somehow, also from Dante since he was his son. But with Nero it was something entirely different, because she didn’t know who he was, how he met Dante or what he had done to earn his affections, taking into account things like their age difference or even physical similarities.

Obviously, the redhead had to silence all her questions; but not everything was unsatisfactory, since getting to know that cheerful and lively side of Dante had been wonderful and made her think that if Dante could be so notoriously happy while being the demon he was, then maybe there was hope that someday she would find her own path to happiness.

* * *

From the snowfall that had been falling incessantly for a couple of hours, there were now left only remnants, light icy flakes that descended gently in small quantities.

However, despite the fact that the entire exterior was completely covered with snow, the room of the modest hotel where they were staying at had a warm and comfortable temperature, thanks to the heating system, since for a change they had found a decent place to rest in comparison with the less than ideal places that they usually ended renting when they were traveling on a job. So being in that clean, warm room with a homely touch after the tedious mission they had finished, was a blessing.

Unlike the other, Dante had dropped into the bed as soon as he had seen it, while Nero went to take a hot bath to get rid of the cold sensation the snow gave him.

Dante fell asleep in an instant and didn’t wake up until he felt fingers stroking his hair, bringing him back to consciousness, but he didn’t make the attempt to move or to show that he already woken up, mainly because he was too comfy in that position and he also didn’t want Nero to stop touching his hair.

The former knight was sitting on the side of the bed, watching the really beautiful landscape from the only window in the room, which showed in the distance the forest which both hunters passed through to reach that town. Technically, he was turning his back on Dante, while carefully running the fingers of his devil arm between the whitish tufts of hair of the older man.

A few more minutes passed in that way, until the silence was broken when unexpectedly, Nero began to speak very low.

“_My honored brethren, we come together to unite as one_” he whispered with a certain solemnity “_Against those that are damned, we show no mercy for we have none_”and in a way, that sounded a lot like a prayer “_Our enemy shall fall as we uprise to claim our fate. Now and forever, we'll be together in love and in hate…_”

Saying the last words, the youngest stopped for a few seconds the soft caresses he was giving to take a deep breath and release it in a soft sigh, resuming the movement of his fingers on the man's hair. And then he spoke again, although this time there was a musical tone in his voice.

“_They will see, we’ll fight until eternity_”and indeed, he had begun to sing “_Come with me, we’ll stand and fight together_” despite the modulated volume of his voice, it was heard perfectly “_Through our strength we’ll make a better day tomorrow, we shall never surrender_.”

Instantly Dante recognized the song, feeling victorious in a sense, for he had finally been able to hear beyond the last four words.

The feeling of victory gave way to something else when Nero continued singing, repeating the same fragment again, apparently without realizing that he was increasing the volume of his voice.

_They will see, we’ll fight until eternity…_

That he was in love with Nero was a fact quite clear and accepted. That Nero was in love with him... well, that was also a guaranteed fact. And maybe all of that was just some trick of fate, or some God, or angels, hell or whichever were the "superior forces" that controlled the ways of destiny, if such a thing really existed. Dante knew that he was obligated -and condemned- to carry on an endless battle, until he was killed or until he found a way to disappear every piece of the legacy from Sparda's power, so that it could never fall into the wrong hands; it was his battle, not Trish, nor Lady, nor Lucia... and he hoped that the day when it became necessary, they would step aside for their own good.

_Come with me, we’ll stand and fight together…_

When he had said something similar to Nero in an honest outburst, a few months ago, because of a little adventure they had go through -and that involved a demon who sought the power of Sparda, a portal to hell open with entry and exit pass included, in addition to Nero being practically killed, only to get as a result that his demonic blood was strengthened... yes, the usual-, the owner of Red Queen simply laughed hard and then told him that he needed to knock it off the self-worth, since as Nero knew, the whole Sparda issue concerned him directly the moment a crazy old man used him as a battery for his living statue. So Dante was going to endure sharing the limelight, because there was no way for Nero to move away from all that conflict now that he was already there.

One part of Dante wanted to refuse, to tell him that it had nothing to do with him... but another part of himself welcomed that idea with painful jubilance, because the simple possibility that he could’ve someone by his side in the middle of the endless storm that it was his life, was enough to make him feel that he could continue on that path as long as it was necessary.

_Through our strength we’ll make a better day tomorrow…_

And although deep inside was a voice hissing at him that allowing Nero to be so dangerously close to him will only result in his demise, Dante had no problem in burying those gray thoughts in favor of those who spoke of a long future together. If Dante had been able to survive and conquer the worst possible scenarios on his own... having Nero with him could only mean that absolutely nothing could surpass them, provided they remained together.

_We shall never surrender_…

Yes, with all the obstacles, the dangers and even facing death on a daily basis, even so, Dante didn’t doubt that victory would be on his side.

And finally without restraining he laughed briefly, causing Nero to stop singing, turning backwards to encounter a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. Before he could say anything, Dante grabbed his right wrist, pulling him quickly towards the bed unexpectedly at the same time he positioned himself over the obfuscated boy and taking advantage of the seconds he got by taking him off guard, Dante moved his hands to cup Nero’s face with unusual gentleness.

“_They will see, we’ll fight until eternity… come with me, we’ll stand and fight together…_”

Nero’s eyes opened wide with surprise, because not only Dante obviously heard him, memorizing the song’s lyrics... but this was the first time he heard him sing.

And besides... there was this intensity that his eyes transmitted, looking at him in such a deep way that it was causing Nero's stomach to hurt, without understanding where all this sudden wave of emotions had come from.

“_Through our strength we’ll make a better day tomorrow… we shall never surrender_…”

As he continued singing, Dante bowed down, bringing his face closer to Nero's, until he found himself whispering the words so close that his breath tickled against the parted lips in expectation of the youngest. Unable to continue holding his gaze, Nero closed his eyes, feeling a well-known titillation running through his body.

“_We shall never surrender_...”

Listening with anticipation, Nero opened his lips a little more just in time to join his voice with Dante's.

“_We shall never surrender_...”

The whisper of their voices was lost when their mouths came together, fitting perfectly, with their tongues looking for each other in a familiar manner. Nero then stopped worrying about the abruptness of the situation and instead, he let himself be carried away, basking in the feeling of absolute security and affection that only Dante had been able to evoke in him.

And in addition to the certainty that he was in love, Dante also had the reassurance that no matter what the future might hold, as long as Nero was next to him, there was nothing to fear about.


End file.
